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Sergeant Darren Manzella
Gay army medic is discharged after openly discussing sexuality
"Manzella is just one of more than 12,000 troops to be dismissed under the 'Donââ¬â¢t Ask, Donââ¬â¢t Tell' law"
Thirty-year-old Sergeant Darren Manzella has become the latest casualty of the war on homosexuality in the armed forces, having been officially discharged from duties following comments he made on TV.
Speaking to CBS 60 Minutes in December Sergeant Manzella told of life in the army as a gay man, and revealed that his colleagues and commanders had been aware of his sexuality since 2006, when he came out to them following a string of anonymous emails threatening to expose him.
Despite years of service, during which he earned a Combat Medical Badge for work in Baghdad, Manzella has now been discharged from duty.
He said of the Army’s decision, "My sexual orientation certainly didn’t make a difference when I treated injuries and saved lives in the streets of Baghdad… It shouldn’t be a factor in allowing me to continue to serve."
Manzella is just one of more than 12,000 troops to be dismissed under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law which prohibits anyone who "demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from joining the Unites States armed forces.
Gay support group, the Servicemembers Legal Defence Network estimates around 65,000 lesbian and gay service members serve on active duty and in the reserves of the U.S. military, while polls reveal that 79% of Americans support allowing gays to serve openly.
